God’s Work or My Work? – Devotional

“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy spirit fell on all who heard the message.” – Acts 10:44 NIV

“And the presence of the Lord was with them with power, so that a great number (learned) to believe and turned and surrendered themselves to Him.”
– Acts 11:21

It seems that true power and effectiveness for ministry is something that God just does. Sometimes, although I am there and involved, it is like I just see God “hijack” a situation and do things that I was not expecting or even thinking about in that moment. Someone may ask how they can receive Christ when I am not expecting it. Another confesses a besetting addiction or habit when I had no idea it was coming. Then there is the arrival of God’s power that comes when I am speaking. These acts of God are the result of prayer and nothing that I could ever do.

I am not able to convict a sinner of their sin, set another free, or bring down the power of God. Yet, we as humans have such a propensity for crediting or blaming ourselves even when we say with our lips and know in our heads that this work of the ministry is truly God’s work.

Take stock of your heart right now. Ask the Lord to make your true beliefs clear. How much of your effectiveness or failures do you attribute to the hand of God? What is true? Would we ever dare say that I can do this work without God’s help? If we say we can’t, then why do we take the credit or the blame for its success or failure?